Dear colleagues,

No one today is indifferent to the concepts of health, health, economy and sustainability. All these concepts are relevant for companies (health and non-health), for life in society and for public administrations. Progress and the pandemic have highlighted areas that need to be strengthened and innovated. The question remains whether this change is compatible with the principles of sustainable development. In light of the investments that will be made in the near future (also foreseen in Europe by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan - PNRR), it is necessary to try to understand how, and if, health care is moving towards a more sustainable, efficient, effective and economic. In this sense, the need to ensure the quality and efficiency of the services provided, considered a priority and relevant to the integration of the economic and social dimension of sustainability, is accompanied by a growing sensitivity to environmental impact. Among the actions pursued in the field of sustainability, attention must be paid to the rational use of natural resources, prevention through the promotion of sustainable lifestyles, green purchases, projects for health and safety in the workplace and sustainable management some waste. From the perspective of sustainable development in healthcare, the issue of collaboration, between different disciplines and different professionals, is central. In this sense, it is necessary to develop a multidisciplinary strategy for global health that takes into account the impact on health of the choices made in the social, economic and environmental fields. Therefore, to develop a cooperation strategy in terms of health governance that can lead to a harmonious development that respects the balance between the natural, social and institutional spheres, global compatibility and the needs of future generations. The transition towards sustainability of the health service will therefore depend on the ability to seize these opportunities, through the implementation of substantial interventions such as the modernization of the technological and digital park of health facilities, investments in safety and in personnel training, the strengthening of biomedical research that makes it possible to plan services in line with the characteristics of the population and the evolution of health needs. However, similarly to what happened with the epochal changes of the past, when it comes to sustainability (including health), the economic sphere took precedence over the environmental and social one. In this sense, we propose this special issue focused on Health Economics and Sustainable Development. To this end, research, theoretical and empirical investigations are welcome, in the context of the topics listed below (non-exhaustive list):

(1) Sustainable development in health

(2) Health economics

(3) Health management

(4) Developing solutions for healthcare and communication problems using reinforcement learning

(5) Business innovation in healthcare

(6) Social business models in healthcare

(7) Digital transformation in healthcare

(8) Public management in health

(9) Public administration and health

(10) Public and private health

(11) Circular economy and healthcare

(12) Healthcare and PNRR

(13) Covid 19 and healthcare

(14) Eco-Development and health

(15) Healthcare marketing

(16) Business intelligence and health

(17) Industry 5.0 and healthcare

(18) Society 5.0 and healthcare

(19) Electronic health record